ReelData nets Chilean order for landbased fish farming cameras
Canadian company ReelData has signed a multi-year deal with Chilean salmon farmer Invermar, it has announced.
ReelData, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will supply four ReelWeight cameras at Invermar’s Aucha hatchery location, in Colaco, Los Lagos region. The agreement follows a trial where Invermar tested two ReelWeight cameras across 16 tanks at the Aucha facility.
The AI camera system is designed specifically for land-based systems. Throughout the trial period, Invermar was able to use the system to assess average weight and weight distribution and compare results for accuracy against standard operating procedures.
The ReelWeight camera is easily moved from tank to tank with its ergonomic handle and built-in connection points for movements in and around each tank, ReelDatew said in a press release.
Using ReelData’s individual fish recognition capability, the camera was able to deliver more than 450 unique measurements per hour. This provided Invermar with enough data to allow it to decide to cease manual sample weighing and move forward with the AI technology.
Farming manager Sergio Bustamente said Invermar had been impressed by both the functions and functionality of the camera, and the support and service offered by the ReelData team.
Aucha hatchery uses recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to produce Atlantic salmon across 16 units on site, and earlier this year, four new units were introduced to produce coho.
ReelData commercial director Gareth Butterfield said the Aucha facility’s modern design and cutting-edge technology made it the ideal site for the first deployment of ReelWeight in Chile.
A fifth camera is expected at the site before the year end to support coho average weight measurements and an additional camera is now at the company’s Lago Verde hatchery site to validate ReelWeight against smaller fish at the beginning of the lifecycle.
